Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is conspicuously contending for innovation and creativity. Observers have been proactively watching the news and rumours of the upcoming Apple iPhones this year and the next. A new rumour of a triple-lens camera iPhone has come to light, though it may be just a bit early to discuss we didn’t really want to dismiss it.

At least one of Apple’s iPhone models sporting a triple-lens camera will be introduced in 2019, according to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News. The future iPhone triple camera will feature 12 MP 6P lens design and 5X Zoom, although the report doesn’t specify what kind of zoom (optical, digital or hybrid). Apple’s latest flagship, iPhone X, has up to 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom, so there is a fair chance of this being in reference to optical zoom.

If the report proves to be accurate, Apple may be following in the footsteps of Huawei whose latest flagship P20 Pro is already launched with triple-lens camera setup. Huawei P20 Pro features a Leica triple-lens camera system which includes the 40MP RGB sensor, 20MP monochrome sensor, and 8MP telephoto zoom lens. It offers a 5x hybrid zoom. Details about this future iPhone camera haven’t been revealed.

Does Apple Need to Care About A Triple Lens iPhone

The first quarter of this year apparently does not really look promising for Apple, in the backdrop of the downward trend in iPhone sales which is being witnessed since 2016. The tenth anniversary iPhone X had an overwhelming response initially after its launch, but its sales are estimated to take a nosedive in Q1 2018. If the rumour is close to reality, Apple is aggressively preparing itself in terms of design and innovation in a bid to reverse the sluggish sales. It can be one of the many concerted attempts that Apple is already working on and the world might see the same in future – like MicroLEDs, touchless gesture control, curved display and what not. If that’s not to surprise you, Apple is also expected to cut prices of next-gen iPhone Xs and is also bringing a cheaper LCD model of iPhone X.

Apple has always taken pride in delivering some of the best smartphone cameras in the market every year. For the iPhone X, Google Pixel 2 and Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus are the closest competitors in terms of camera and image quality. Then came the Huawei P20 Pro, equipped with a triple camera, and left all of them behind by significant margin. In light of this rumour, Apple apparently might be in awe and seems to have taken some serious offence.

All in all, this rumor has made some room for next-gen innovation in advanced camera tech. Furthermore, Apple has shifted gears to equip the iPhone, scheduled for 2019, for the triple lens camera technology, if these rumors are proven accurate. However, considering the triple lens iPhone may still be more than a year away from being a reality, it is quite possible for other vendors, apart from Huawei, to introduce 3-lens camera in their devices, that too before Apple. Smartphone manufacturers have been known to getting influenced by Apple’s design and technology and ended up copying it blatantly. Apple was criticized initially for getting rid of 3.5 mm headphone port, or for the much hated notch in iPhone X, but now a bunch of smartphones are seen sporting the notch and some also removed the headphone port. If you come to think of it, it’s not surprising that Apple is a trend setter.

Apple is known to be obsessive about not leaving anything to chance not even with the engineering sleight of hand in the iPhones. As of now these rumors have not been confirmed but this can give a foreground for a third-generation of iPhone X. Apple’s foundry partner, Hon Hai (trading name Foxconn), which exclusively manufactured iPhone X, is also expected to make future iPhone with triple lens technology, reports Economic Daily. Apple’s vault of the secret has become kind of less secure since while but its hard to be sure of what actually is going on inside.